"It's a game I really enjoy. As a football player you always look forward to the biggest games," he told LFC Weekly.

"You enjoy the atmosphere, the pressure and the expectation. It's why you become a professional. Liverpool v Everton is one of the biggest games of the season and when you win, especially away at Goodison Park, it is one of the best feelings.

"The thing I really like about the Merseyside derby is that the game is fast and physical and you quite often have one or two strong tackles on the pitch.

"But at the end of the game, the players shake hands. My brother-in-law is a big Ajax fan who was there at Goodison in 2007 and he too commented on how, despite the outcome of the match, both sets of supporters generally got along quite well."